Ouch, I know right? The title of this one seems a little on the Miranda (sounds like Anna) from 'Devil Wears Prada' side of things. A little demanding, a little, "I can't spare a minute for your follow-up question," and a little, well you get the picture.

There are those days when you just want to be taken seriously and heard the first time around. For myself, those days usually begin with a feeling of, "I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through this one." They are few and far between thank goodness, but they still pop up. You know the ones I'm talking about. We've all been there. I call them my left-foot, right-foot days (my father coined this term for me, and it fits perfectly).

It was on those days when I would lean on my wardrobe to speak for me when maybe my voice (and the rest of my self) felt a little too weary to do it.

A look like the one below (or something similar that would include one of my favorite blazers from my growing, Imelda-like collection) fits the fashion bill perfectly. It's simple, yet effective style. The volume on this look isn't cranked up too loud. I find that when people speak softly and slowly, I tend to lean in to hear what they have to say. There's strength in subtlety, and in fashion, each piece in your ensemble is a word. It's just another language you're speaking whether you like it or not (I happen to love love love it). Choose your words. Figure out what message you want to send.

In this case, the message is strong, polished, pulled together, and means business (plus a little fun; hence the pop of red in the lip). This is the kind of look I would dream about wearing when I was a little girl. Some girls got googley-eyed over the floral and frilly side of fashion. I went weak in the knees when it came to the bold, Madonna circa the Express Yourself side of the fashion coin (sans anatomically correct power-suit cut-outs, because that would just be awkward let alone completely inappropriate).

Enough chit chat. This is what I wear (one iteration of it) when I don't want to ask twice:

The look summed up in a nutshell: Cinching to highlight the waist, a sky-high platform heel to elongate under those perfect black trousers, a key-hole silk blouse reminiscent of another favorite leading woman of mine, Katherine Hepburn (she probably wouldn't have gone for the key-hole cut out, but I'm sticking with the reference), and finally, a streak of saturated red smacked straight on a full lip, just cause.

It's the kind of look I would throw on and never think about again going throughout my day. The kind of look that would leave me walking a bit taller, maybe a bit stronger. It's the kind of look that screams "authority" (you can be authoritative AND kind in my book), fashion or otherwise. And finally, this is the kind of look that, when it passes you by, you make sure you're words are clear because you know the person wearing it isn't going to pause too long for anyone to repeat what they're trying to say. She's going places.

That's just one look to get your fashion engines revving up a bit. It's all about being inspired AND (can't have one without the other) remaining open to your own personal style possibilities. Sometimes you just need to sit back, open your eyes, dream a little, and get out of your own way. *Moment of author/owner transparency: I say this to you and yet am still learning to take my own advice.

Keep the shopping momentum going strong with the perfect next step, the Cliffs Notes shopping experience known as the virtual Closet, lined with favorites from all of my top shopping sites out there. The work is done for you and updated weekly. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to click on a fashion category and see what else is out there that you may have never found had you not stopped right here. It's kismet people. Click away:

See more where that comes from. Check out more product reviews, style tutorials, and takes on how to wear the latest trends in fashion, all right here (click the images below):